Managing the Matrix: The Secret to Surviving and Thriving in Your Organization

Debra was not in a good mood as she entered Johann′s office for their third meeting. One of her colleagues had just been promoted and, although the guy who got it was good, she didn’t think he was any better than her. Well, except at one thing, he was always playing politics – sucking up to the more senior guys and volunteering to be on any committee going. Debra knew the type – went to the same school, belonged to the same club – she didn′t have a hope against the kind of connections he had so she might as well give up. It seemed doing a good job just wasn′t enough around here. Debra and Johann work in an environment with multiple and complex reporting lines – in other words, a matrix. There′s room to "slip between the cracks" – if a person wants to take advantage of confusion over who is managing performance; or if they can′t make the necessary transition to self–management. Communication can be difficult even when there is an apparently shared language. Read how Johann and Debra work together to identify the skills needed to succeed in a matrix, and how using Emotional Intelligence (EI) can develop specific behaviours you can incorporate in your daily job. The result will help reduce stress and increase your chances of success. Dawn Metcalfe, Managing Director of PDS, based in Dubai, uses her experience as a coach and trainer to give us a behind the curtain look at how mentoring can help an individual develop the skills they need to survive and thrive in today′s complex work environments.

Introduction 6 1 The Challenge is Set 7 2 Laying the cards on the table 10 3 Preparing for change 15 4 Working on objectives 17 5 How quickly we forget 22 6 The matrix – the good, the bad and the ugly 23 7 What do the successes in the matrix do? 28 8 Defining EI 31 9 A short and (emotionally) intelligent review 39 10 Working out how EI can help 40 11 Why IQ isn’t enough 46 12 Learning EI 50 13 Fake it until you make it 53 14 How managers can help improve EI 63 15 Understanding the importance of culture and strong leadership in the matrix 63 Epilogue 67 Acknowledgements About the author Useful resources

Dawn Metcalfe is the Managing Director of Performance Development Services (PDS) and an experienced and qualified trainer, facilitator and coach who works across a wide range of industries. Her clients are usually already highly effective and skilled people who wish to consider new tools that might help them as they face their next challenge. Dawn has extensive experience of working with different cultures having lived and worked in the UK, France, Spain, Japan, China and now Dubai where she is based. Dawn works regularly with board directors, senior managers and top management teams across the region to improve performance by changing the way individuals and groups see the world and the impact they have on it and others. Performance Development Services (PDS) helps individuals, teams and organizations to change behaviour and improve performance be it through 1:1 Executive Coaching, mentoring or delivering Leadership and Management Development Programmes.